Franchise Tax Board No Longer Mailing Tax Booklets

Sacramento — The Franchise Tax Board (FTB) announced it will no longer directly mail tax booklets to taxpayers, as more taxpayers migrate to e-filing.

Taxpayers will receive a letter in January with information on filing options, including e-filing, and how to obtain a full, printed tax booklet. All the tax information can also be found online at ftb.ca.gov.

Last year's mailing used approximately 43 million sheets of paper, but fewer than four percent of taxpayers used forms removed from the booklets. This year, the state will save at least $1 million in printing and postage expenses alone.

Seventy-five percent of all returns received last year, more than 11 million, were e-filed. Of the returns filed on paper, most were printed from commercial tax preparation software products or downloaded from the FTB's website.

The IRS also recently announced it will halt mailing tax packages due to the growth of e-filing.

FTB's website offers a wide array of electronic filing options from the free CalFile and ReadyReturn services to other free and fee-based services offered by private software companies.

By January, the most commonly used forms will be available at local libraries and post offices.
Seniors and low income taxpayers can visit their local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or Tax Counseling for the Elderly sites for free tax preparation and filing. Assistance is generally available from February 1 through April 15.

For more information on other taxes and fees in California, visit: taxes.ca.gov